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London Assembly member Caroline Russell said to the Evening Standard: “Islington and Hackney have seized the opportunity to give people a really strong message about taking pollution seriously and to show the scale of London’s health emergency.”

These restrictions are being introduced for cars that produce more than 75g/km of CO2 emissions during peak hours of the day.

Between 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays driver's whose cars don't meet this emissions standard will face landing a £130 fine.

A total of nine roads across Hackney and Islington will be restricted to ultra-low emissions vehicles only.

Petrol and diesel cars to be banned from certain streets in London (Image: GETTY)

Nitrogen dioxide air pollution exceeds legal limits in a number of areas (Image: GETTY)

London Mayor Sadiq Khan's air quality fund is providing the financial backing for the scheme.

Air pollution is a mounting problem in the Capital as at least 50 locations across the city breach the EU legal limit of nitrogen dioxide.

Feryal Demirci, the deputy mayor of Hackney, said: “Failing to act on poor air quality, which causes nearly 10,000 premature deaths across London every year, is not an option, and that’s why we’re being bolder than ever in our efforts to tackle it.

Only electric, hybrid and hydrogen cars will be permitted access during the restricted hours (Image: GETTY)

“We’re thrilled to be launching our ultra-low emissions streets – the first of their kind in the UK – which will reclaim the streets from polluting petrol and diesel vehicles, and improve the area for thousands of people every day.”

Claudia Webbe, Islington council’s executive member for environment and transport, said: “Air pollution is a huge issue for Islington residents… and we are proud to be leading from the front to tackle this life or death issue.

“This ground-breaking proposal for ‘electric streets’ – the first of its kind in the UK – willprioritiselow-pollution transport such as electric cars and cut polluting vehicles during peak hours in the streets surrounding Central Foundation Boys school in Islington – the most polluted state secondary in London.”

This scheme comes into force today head of the ultra-low emissions zone, which will be introduced next year charging motorists a daily fee to use the zone.

It will replace the £12.50 daily T-Charge which was introduced in 2017.